ST. KILDA TRAMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13780, 19 December 1906, Page 2

ST. KILDA TRAMS

THE DEED OF DELEGATION.In accordance with notice of motion given, Cr Gore moved at lust night's meetin<r of the St. KiUla Council—"That tho following: resolution in the minutes of August 15, 1905, lie rescinded: 'That the council refuses to sign the deed of delegation until a clause is inserted lo the effect that any concession granted to any other borough or any area forming part of tho city and which formcrlv was a separate borough, tho same concession to be given to this borough.'" He asked tho council, if it was agreeable, lo sign the deed in its old form. Councillors would no doubt remember that when the deed first came before the council thero was no greater opponent to signing it than himself. lie did not properly understand it then, however, but he had since altered his opinion considerably. lie had tried in every way to bring about a settlement between the City Council's Tramways Committee and the St. Kilda Council, and after he had waited on ihe'm several times as a deputation, he was successful in getting a clause drafted out to be inserted in the interests of the council. This, however, left St. Kilda no better off than before. This referred to the promise to give St. Kilda any concession in the shape of concession tickets given to any other locality eo long as the fare did not como below 2d. The question that presented itself to him was whether tho council was responsible for any accident taking place within the borough. He thought it. was. Were they as councillors or ratepayers to take the risk? As for the fares, he did not think anything less than 2d was wanted, but only last meeting a. letter had been read complaining about the running of the trams on show day, and 1 ho City Council had been called to book over the matter. Now he found that St. Kilda had no say in the matter at all, for the City Council could run its trams a.s it liked until the deed was signed by St. Kilda. He would tie pleased to ?ce a public meeting called in order that the matter should be placed before the ratepayers. If such meeting decided io take the risk, then he would feel that the onus was oH his shoulders, and he would stand in with them. The council should try lo get all ilie concessions possible, and all it could get was in tlie shape of concession tickets. Cr Gore referred to tho loss on the running of the trams. He was <piitc prepared to leave, the matter in the hands of the council, or ho was tpiite prepared to allow his motion to stand over until a meeting of the ratepayers was called. Cr M'Farlano seconded tho motion. Cr Scanlan said he saw no reason to change bis former views, as he did not

think tho position had changed ono iota, He would record his voic as ho had dons in the past. Cr Ewing said he would sooner see a public meeting called to get tho voice of the ratepayers on the matter. If tho cars should prosper in the future, as ho believed they would, St. Kilda would then be at a disadvantage. It was possible that the fares to St. Clair might- bo oven lower than 2d. 110 was quite aware of tho risk they were taking. 110 would move as nil amendment—" That a pnblio meeting of the ratepayers bo called to inquiro into the matter." The Mayor seconded the amendment, and said that the. Mayor of Dunedin had told him during an interview that St. lvilda could not get any help until the deed was signed. Speaking of concessions. the Mayor considered that 16 tokens for Is would be (lie best plan to overcome the difficulty. From what tho Mayor o£ Dunedin had told him lie felt quite snro there was no possibility of tho faro bejng lowered. The council must cither sign the deed or stop tho care, Crs Ashton' and Cameron also spoke, and on the amendment being put it was carried by 6 votes to 4.